Phonograph stopping means



Dec. 28, 1943. a 1.. B. GREEN 2,337,811

PHONOGRAPH STOPPING MEANS Filed July 16, 1940 H INVENTOR. T

/0 [as 5; Gaza/7 2y 5&4 211mg y/uu/mzyffflt 27 A TYURNEYS Patented Dec. 28, 1943 PHONOGRAPH STOPPING MEANS Lee B. Green, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The General Industries Company, Elyria, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application July 16, 1940, Serial No. 345,742

3 Claims.

This invention relates to phonograph stopping means, and more particularly to an improved device for actuating an electric switch or other control member for automatically stopping the driving means of a phonograph or like machine after predetermined operation thereof such as when the stylus carried by the tone arm reaches the end of the sound track.

An object of my invention is to provide a stopping device, for a phonograph or like machine, which is designed for rapid and economical manufacture and which is sensitive and positive in operation and therefore well suited for actuation by a movable tone arm or like member.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved stopping means for phonographs and the like in which a control-actuating member is biased toward the stopping position and is releasably held by a trip member 7 ounted for rocking movement and adapted to'be engaged by the tone arm. J

A further object of my inventi n is to provide an improved phonograph stopping device having lever means adapted to be manually set and thereby biased to cause actuation of a control member and in which a sensitive trip member holds said lever in its set position but releases the lever when such trip member is engaged and shifted by the tone arm.

Still another object of my invention is to provide improved stopping means, of the character mentioned, in which the trip means for the control-actuating lever is arranged for transverse rocking movement and is biased by a transversely curved spring so as to form a releasable lock for the control-actuating lever. I

My invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view showing a phonograph having the stopping means of my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing my improved automatic stopping device in detached relation and with the control-actuating lever in its set position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof but showing the control-actuating lever in its released position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device with the control-actuating lever in its released or tripped position;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken through the device as indicated by line 66 of As already indicated above, my improved stopping device is intended for use with a phonograph or like machine for automatically stopping the turntable after the desired period of rotation thereof such as when the stylus carried by the swinging tone arm approaches the end of the sound track. Fig. 1 of the drawing shows my improved stopping device I0 suitably mounted on the top or cover I I of a phonograph having a rotatable turntable I2 and a swinging tone arm I3. The stopping device I0 may be located beneath the turntable I2, and as will be explained more fully hereinafter, has a projecting control-actuating lever I4 and a trip member I5 therefor provided with an arm portion I6 arranged to be engaged and moved by the tone arm I3 when the stylus I3a approaches the end of the sound track of the record IZa lying on the turntable I 2.

The embodiment of my stopping device shown in this instance is designed for use with an electrically driven phonograph and includes a control switch I8 by which the energizing circuit for the driving motor (not shown) can be closed to cause rotation of the turntable and can be openedv to deenergize the motor and stop the turntable. The electric switch I8 may be of the snap action toggle type having a forked actuating member or toggle lever I9 projecting through an opening 20 of the switch casing. The switch also has terminal lugs 2I extending from the casing thereof and with which the conductors 22 of the motor circuit may be connected.

The stopping device It! may be provided with a base plate or frame member 23 upon which the various parts of the device may be mounted and by which the device may be appropriately connected with the top I I of the phonograph. The switch IB may be located on the underside of the base plate 23 and may be connected with the base plate by means of ears or lugs 24 extending through appropriate openings or slots thereof. The base plate may have an opening 25 therethrough affording access to the forked toggle lever I9 from a point above the base plate.

The control-actuating lever I4 may be located above the base plate 23 and may be connected therewith by the pivot pin 26 upon which this lever can be swung. The lever includes an arm der. of an elongated 23 and arranged .to have rockin movement relative aseplate 23 with rocking movement, I may provide the latter with to its longitudinal axis. i

' member IS with the-lever ll,

" 36 which acts on the-trip member jhave-beenobtained 7 'plat'esprin'g, as shown 21 which,"atits inner or free end, has an angularly extending tongue or finger 28 deflected to extend downwardly through the opening 23 of the base plate and engaging between the arms or teeth of the forked toggle lever I8. I A tension spring 28 having one end connected with the lever I4 and the other end anchored on the base plate ,23 acts on the lever tending to swing the same on the pivot pin 28 in a clockwise direction from a set or runningposition', as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to a released or stopped position as seen in Figs. 3 and 5. When the tion and thereafter released the spring will swing.

this lever clockwise and thereby actuate the forked toggle lever l9 to cause movement of the i latter to the position corresponding with the I open condition of the contacts on the switch l8.

, For releasably holding or locking the controlactuating lever H in the set orrunning position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which corresponds with the closed condition of the contacts of the switch I! and to which position'the'lever may be manually moved, I may provide the arm 21 of the lever with an elevated portion or strip 30 affording a shoulder 3| and may also provide the trip member IS with a laterally offset-latch portion or extension 33 which is engageable with such shoul- The trip member I! may be inithe form bar mounted on'the upper sideof the base plate to the latter and transversely of itsown axis so that the latch portion 33 may he lifted to release or clear lever ll. For mounting the trip member on the provision for such relative a'pair of headedpins or rivets 34 projecting thereabove and extending through openings 35 of the trip member-which are'substantially. larger I in size} than the-cross-sectional dimension of the headed pins? The pins 34 extend above the base j plate'a distance which 'issomewhat greater than f the thickness of the trip-member so that the latter is capable of considerable movement toward and from theb'ase plate'as well as a rocking or tilting'movement on the pins and transversely -To"btain efllcient cooperation of the trip I' employ a spring in a-manner to the projection or cause positive engagement of latch portion 33 with the shoulder 3| whenever the lever ll is-swun'g toits set'or runningposition as shown in Fig. 2. Very satisfactory results i by making the spring 36 in "the form of a transversely deflected or curved in Fig. 8. and arranging the same between the -trip member l and the base plate23 'so that the upstanding edge or porf tion-3G'a-of the spring engagesthe trip member "adjacent'the outer'edge thereof. that is to say along the edge thereof opposite that from'which the 'latchportion" 33 projects. By making the spring 36 ofthis form and arranging jthe-same as just described-arid shown in Flgskfi and'i'l, it

the spring :acts on'jthe "tripmember 15. tending the shoulder 3| of the lever I4 is in its set position the contacts of the switch It are closed and the phonograph runs and when. the" and the-phonograph is v tone arm thereby swing ortilt the latch portion 33 downward toward the base plate so that it will drop into position behind the shoulder 3| as. soon as the lever I4 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 2. The spring 33 may be retained between the base plate and the trip member IS in various ways, but preferably is held in place by one pair of the ears or lugs 24 of the switch It and for this purpose I may provide the spring with holes 31 through which such ears or lugsextend.

As above mentioned, the tripim'ember I5 may have an arm portion It for engagement with the |3 of the phonograph and although this arm portion may be'integral with the trip member, I prefer to make it as a separate L- shaped partwhich may be connected with the trip memberby means of the rivet 38. The conibly swung relative clockwise direction on ing motor.

.trip, member now holds the lever nection formed by the rivet 33 may include a friction washer 33 and may be sufficiently tight that engagement of the arm I6 by the tone arm will cause rocking of the trip member l5 and yet not too tight to permit the arm Hi to be forcto the trip member for adjusting this arm to an angular position onsetiiingfor proper cooperation with the tone arm In the operation of manual swinging of the device above described, the lever II in a counterthe pivot 26 to the position shown in Fig. 2 will actuate the switch l8 to close and start the driving motor such movement of the lever It to this position also causes the spring 29 to be stressed and results in the latch portion 33 of the trip member |5 dropping tion behind the shoulder 3| of the lever. The

H in its set position and the turntable 2 is rotated by its driv- Swinging of the tone arm l3 toward its dotted position shown in Fig. 1 causes itto engage the arm l6 of the trip member thereby making the trip member on the pins 34 and causing the latch portion 33 thereof to'be lifted above the shoulder 3|, as, shown in Fig. 5,whereupon the spring 23 swings the lever H to its released position illustrated'ln Fig. 3 and thereby actu- -.to its set or running From the foregoing companying drawing, it will now be readily understood that I have provided an improved phi nograph stopping device which is of very simp e v and economical construction but which is nevertheless capable of operating in a positive and sat- By providing a relatively between the trip member and base plate and arranging the trip member for relative transverse rocking movement, it will be seen that the device will be very sensitive and very-little force need beapplied thereto by the tonearm to cause the desired automatic operation of the device. It will be seen furthermore that by-the use of the transversely curved plate spring beneath the trip member the desired locking of the control 'actuating lever will be automatically obtained by simply moving the lever 1 latchportion of thetrip member will remain in locking engagement with the shoulder of the le- "will be seentha't the 'sprin'g seats againsttheface of the base plate 23 and the upstanding edge of ver until the trip member has been rocked by the tone arm. c

WhileI have illustrated and described my improved phonograph stop ing device in a more or lessdetailed manner, it will be understood, of

vcourse, that I do not wish to be limited to the into its locking posidescription and the acv position and that the offset cations as do not involve a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A control device of the' character described, comprising a base plate having an opening therethrough, an electric switch beneath the plate, a switch actuating manually operated lever pivoted on said plate and having operative connection with the switch through said opening, a spring acting on said lever and urging the same toward one position of switch actuation, a trip member adapted to be engaged by said lever to prevent movement of the latter to said one position and being arranged for relative transverse rocking movement for releasing said lever, and a plate spring disposed beneath said trip member between said base plate and said trip member acting to rock the latter to a position to be engaged by said lever, said electric switch having lugs mounting the same on the base plate and serving also to connect said plate spring with the base plate.

2. A latch operated switch for phonographs of the type comprising a rotatable turntable, and having a tone arm associated therewith, said switch means mounted on a base plate located beneath said turntable, a lever pivoted on said plate and having operative connection with said switch, biasing means acting on said lever and adapted to swing the same in one direction to actuate the switch, a pair of spaced pins on said plate, an elongated trip member loosely mounted on said pins for rocking movement toward said plate to a position to be engaged by said lever for holding the latter ag'ainst movement by said biasing means and away from the plate to release said lever, and a plate spring between said base plate and trip member and tending to rock the latter toward the base plate, said trip member having an arm portion adapted to be engaged and shifted by the tone arm for causing rocking of the trip member away from the base plate.

3. A latch operating switch for phonographs of the type comprising a rotatable turntable and having a tone arm associated therewith, said switch means mounted on a base plate located be-.

neath said turntable, said base plate carrying a switch actuating lever biased towards one position of switch actuation and a trip member rockingly mounted on the base plate and having transverse rocking movement with respect to the lever and to be lockingly engaged with said lever to prevent said lever from moving to said switch actuating position, said lever having a handle portion, which handle portion when manually moved in a counterclockwise direction causes the lever to actuate the switch and start the driving motor of the phonograph, such movement causing the trip member to move into locking engagement with said lever, said trip member maintained in such'locked engagement with said lever during the record playing interval, an outwardly extending arm portion of said trip member adapted to be engaged by said tone arm at the conclusion of the playing interval whereby said trip member is rocked out of engagement with said lever and spring means associated with said lever to swing the lever to an inoperative position with respect to the switch means and stop the driving motor.

LEE B. GREEN. 

